Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I attended an auction last night. It looked like it was going to be a bust, but oh boy did I fill up on the junky furniture. The auction site was about 60 miles from here so I was determined to only make one trip. Three large oak bookcases, a yellow cabinet, a white chimney cupboard, 2 oak pillars, a door and a rattan chair bungied to the back. Thought that I looked like Jethro driving into Beverly Hills with everything but Granny in the rocker.

Monday, June 23, 2008

We are going to have a special sale at Gypsy Lea's this weekend. Sauk Rapids is going to celebrate its community celebration, River Days, this weekend. We have seen estimates that as many as 15,000 people may be there to attend the parade and the other festivities. With that potential market we have to make an attempt at more sales.

I have not done much to get ready for the special sale. I did pick up this oldtime workbench at an auction a couple of weeks ago. I sanded it and gave it a wash of gel stain (these photos are prior to staining). It is my favorite piece at the sale.

Monday, June 9, 2008

I still have pricing and some finishing pieces to bring in but it looks pretty good. Kris and Gypsy busted their butts getting the place ready. I did a lot of watching and waiting to lift something here or there.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

I have been getting my things ready for the next sale at Gypsy Lea's in Sauk Rapids. It seems that all I do is dance with furniture. I am going to move my barn door table and some other unsold items from The Porch to Gypsy Lea's this afternoon. Mike is going to meet me there to help load the heavy stuff. Then we are going to Second Hand Rose to pick up some of Kris and Mike's unsold pieces.

I did so very well with frames and paintings last time at Gypsy Lea's that I decided to bring a bunch more in today. I have oil paintings, shabby frames, abstracts, maps and prints.

The St. Cloud cable TV is going to be at Gypsy's on Monday so we have to get a nice looking set up complete tonight. The amount of local attention that she has been getting for the new shop in Sauk Rapids has been stupendous. Its a completely different market from Buffalo which is tied to the Twin Cities. The daily newspaper did a feature story on the grand opening last month and there may be a follow-up this month. Gypsy has appeared (or is scheduled) for three local radio shows and the TV is going to do a story. The local market has been very excited by the occasional sale concept and Gypsy's implementation of it in the 100,000 person St. Cloud area.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I've been having trouble sleeping recently so I have been a bit remiss in getting items posted here. I also was late (again) getting ready for the occasional sale at The Porch. Luckily, Teresa cut me some slack and didn't panic when I waited until today to finish my set up. Her patience is appreciated.

I'm pretty pleased with the way that my barn door table came out. It takes a big chunk of my space in the shop.

The other photos are part of my space too. I really like the 1920's shade on the floor lamp in the last photo. Very shabby.

I’m a guy who has somehow fallen into the shabby world. A shabby chic world of shabotaged furniture and foo foo accessories. My stuff tends to be outside of the cottage without much chic, shabby or otherwise. My things are the hogs in this world of roses. Thus the title: Hogs and Roses. (Please look at my 1st post "Why Hogs and Roses?")

This is Mr. Flannery

I want to be Henny Youngman, when I grow up. Take my wife -- please!
I enjoyed 7 years of marital bliss (17 years of marriage). I have been divorced forever. Love my role as curmudgeon, comedian, sage and advisor.